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Levee Ride ... To the End of the World

Joined
Jun 22, 2010
Messages
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Location
Summer Grove, LA
First Name
Lee
KevlarRyder John & I made a ride to "The End of the World" along the Atchafalaya Floodway levees in south central Louisiana, beginning after church and lunch on Sunday, 1/1/12 by trailering our KLX250S's down to fellow sidecarist Bud's place along the west levee at U.S. Hwy 190.

On Monday morning we embarked by heading south on the levee, but soon we were politely informed by a deputy sheriff that we must travel along the road along the outside base of the levee:
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So we traveled the paved and gravel road along side the levee as available:
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Here's a scene looking inside the levee at a cross-over south of Henderson:
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The Herman Dupuis Road runs inside the levee to the community of Butte LaRose, crossing the Pontoon Bridge, where a fellow in a airboat was blowing the water hyacinths thru the drawbridge portion that is supported by a set of pontoons (off to the right in the photo); seems the current was bunching the hyacinths on the pontoon to the point it might tip-over the pontoon support:
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Further south in St. Mary Parish we paused to watch a bald eagle in flight:
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We overnighted in Morgan City, where there are two bridges over the Atchafalaya River, the old La.182 to the right and the new US90 on the left (we crossed on the old bridge :sun:)
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The sunset photo was taken as we walked to Rita Mae's Kitchen for supper (iPhone3 photo):
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Where we both enjoyed Crab Burgers :eat3: -- yep, some good eats:
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We passed a 24-hour donut shop on the walk back to the Best Western; despite the aroma, I was too full to enjoy dessert:giveup::
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End Day 1
 
Day 2:

We awoke Tuesday to bright sunshine, but a cold 33*F down on the Cajun Coast. After letting the sun rise the temp to 38*F, we made a quick tour of the wharf in downtown Morgan City before venturing north along the east levee, where we took a closer look at the twin bridges:
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And even saw the Queen Mary:
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Downtown Morgan City is protected from floodwaters by a levee wall, which is sealed by closing these large rolling doors:
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After riding +/-60 miles of pavement, the last 25 miles of the east levee road are gravel. Here's John traveling the levee road:
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And me making my way along the levee road:
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South Louisiana is a very interesting area to travel once off the main highways. The backroads often follow the bayous and are framed with live oaks; often with lots of curves but they do travel "slow" -- but scenes like this are quite common:
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Here I am crossing the bridge over the Bayou des Glaise diversion canal where it enters Bayou Courtableu in St. Landry Parish:
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And John crossing the same bridge:
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Along the return route along the east side of the levee, we passed thru the community of Bayou Pigeon, which truly is The End of the World -- at least according to this sign:
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The total trip around the levee back to Bud's place was about 240 miles including some side trips, of which +/-70 are easy-to-ride gravel -- that is, unless it it too wet, when the roads can get real sloppy with sticky mud. It is an interesting ride that I would like to try again in the spring.
 
Nice ride report. I love Rita Mae's but occasionally wished she had a beer license.
 
Lee, if it's a two day this spring again.....stay in touch if I would be welcome to ride along? :clap: :sun:
 
Great write up and nice picture. That area is my old stomping grounds. I spent a lot of time on top of those levies. The authorities have gotten more strict since the flood threat and opening of the floodgates last year. Here is another pic from Henderson. Thanks for making me homesick:eat:
 

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Lee, if it's a two day this spring again.....stay in touch if I would be welcome to ride along? :clap: :sun:

Mark, it's not quite spring, but my next window of opportunity is Sat-[Fat]Tues, Feb.18-21, as I am scheduled to be off of work that Mon-Wed, with no particular plans yet. I may have to work late that Friday tho (see below).

Another target could be the weekend of Sat. March 24th. We could also try Sat. March 31st, but I may have to work late that Friday.

The basic ride is about 180 miles, do-able in a long Saturday. I'm thinking I could trailer down to Bud's on a Friday night after work and ride the loop on Saturday. If I can leave my office at 4, I should be able to make Bud's by 9pm. Bud has an old camphouse that bunk's lots of folks, and it happy to provide quarters in exchange for conversation -- and supper.
 
nice work guy. I was trying to remember the last time I ran down the levee road along the Atchafalaya. Finely found my files on it. I had run from down the west side on that run from Melville to Atchafalaya on I 10. South of US 190 it turned to limestone roads mostly. Some parts good ( as in the picture ) some parts really thick and loose. I was really on the wrong bike but, any bike I have has to do it on the back roads. Had chose the Bandit and left the KLR at home.

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